Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) combines aspects of acceptance and mindfulness approaches with behavior-change strategies, in an effort to help clients develop psychological flexibility. Therapists and counselors who employ ACT seek to help clients identify the ways that their efforts to suppress or control emotional experiences can create barriers. When clients are able to identify these challenges, it can be easier to make positive and lasting changes. Think this approach may work for you? Contact one of TherapyDen’s ACT specialists today to try it out.

Need help finding the right therapist?
Find Your Match

Meet the specialists

 

I'm an expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a mindfulness-based approach to therapy that helps you become aware of your thoughts, feelings, and actions and to create a meaningful life that aligns with your values. I have years of experience helping clients recognize and accept thoughts and feelings without judgment and to use that knowledge to create meaningful and lasting change. I'm committed to helping you find the clarity and focus you need to live your life with meaning.

— Dr. Tom Murray, Sex and Relationship Therapist, Sex Therapist in Greensboro, NC

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a multi-faceted approach that incorporates mindfulness-based practices with identifying our core personal values and what committed actions we can take towards them. One of the underlying principles is that we all have core yearnings, including two of the primary yearnings to belong and for self-directed meaning.

— Troy Wood, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in San Francisco, CA
 

I have attended trainings and utilize skills from this approach regularly.

— Kelsey Whittlesey, Licensed Professional Counselor

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps you embrace your thoughts and feelings without judgment (acceptance) while aligning your actions with your core values (commitment). It's a powerful way to find purpose and resilience in the face of life's challenges, such as anxiety and stress. We'll work collaboratively to develop mindfulness skills, increase psychological flexibility, and challenge unhelpful patterns of thinking and behavior.

— Jessica Furland, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Carlsbad, CA
 

ACT was my first love and the modality that spoke to me the most when I first started. What I really like about it is the flexibility it gives me and my clients while, at the same time, being super comprehensive. ACT assumes that to get stuck is the most human thing to do - everyone gets stuck at some point in their lives. Difficult feelings and thoughts are part of the human experience, and how we interact with them is crucial and can mean the difference between suffering and doing well.

— Christian Bumpous, Marriage & Family Therapist in Nashville, TN

Together we will collaborate on your specific goals for treatment and then begin the work towards making the changes in your life that you’d like to see. Examples of areas of focus could be better managing difficult thoughts and feelings, cutting back on problematic behaviors, improving overall mood and increasing hopefulness in life, attaining greater pleasure and peace in relationships, and gaining self-confidence. This work can be combined with relationship coaching and EMDR trauma therapy.

— Carrie Hill, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
 

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a type of therapy that helps people accept the difficulties they are experiencing as a part of life, identify their values, and take action that aligns with these values. The premise of ACT is that struggle is a part of life, and fighting against it gets us nowhere, and can sometimes make things worse. If we accept the struggles we face but decide to move forward in spite of these struggles, we can achieve our goals and live a life with more meaning and purpose. I incorporate compassion-focused practices into my ACT work, helping you acknowledge the ways in which you are being hard on yourself, and how being a little bit kinder might help you move towards a life of valued action and meaning.

— Ashley Hamm, Licensed Professional Counselor in Houston, TX

ACT combines mindfulness with emotional regulation techniques to move towards a place of greater peace with and sense of control over one's own feelings.

— Jennifer Warner, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Chicago, IL
 

I have used acceptance and commitment therapy for 4 years in helping my clients manage their mental health challenges.

— Esther Odaibo, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in Portland, OR

The world and our lives can be overwhelming at times, but by recognizing our values and holding them close to us, we are able to live a more fulfilling life.

— Katlyn Nolan, Social Worker in Ocala, FL
 

ACT is an action-oriented approach to psychotherapy that stems from traditional behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. When appropriate, I also incorporate principles of 'Mindfulness Therapy' to allow clients the opportunity to simply participate in therapy without critically judging 'how they are doing'. This helps clients recognize therapy as a process and helps clients from becoming discourgaged that they don't seem to 'be able to do it (therapy) right'.

— Kevin W. Condon, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Marietta, GA

Experience transformative change through ACT, where I, a certified therapist, guide you to accept difficult thoughts and feelings. Together, we'll clarify your values and commit to meaningful actions, fostering resilience and empowering you to live a life aligned with your authentic self.

— Cindy Lineberger, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in HICKORY, NC
 

I align with the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) approach not only for its emphases on mindfulness and being in the present moment but that is helps a client make room to feel what they are feeling. The process is not trying to change your thoughts but gives you options to influence your behavior. To learn more, Let’s Talk.

— Raymond Castilleja Jr., Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Together we will collaborate on your specific goals for treatment and then begin the work towards making the changes in your life that you’d like to see. Examples of areas of focus could be better managing difficult thoughts and feelings, cutting back on problematic behaviors, improving overall mood and increasing hopefulness in life, attaining greater pleasure and peace in relationships, and improving self-confidence. This work can be combined with relationship coaching and EMDR trauma therapy.

— Carrie Hill, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
 

I am trained in ACT and implement it to support those who are looking for an alternative to CBT or if it is specifically requested.

— Bryan Gastelle, Psychologist in Phoenix, AZ